Session 5: Using Diagram Aesthetics
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As you work on your diagrams, EA/Studio offers many tools that can be used to create and customize your diagrams.
Contents
Diagram Commands
There are four commands available under Diagram on the main menu that you can use to customize your diagrams:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
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Case Shift |
You can set the default case shift for all element labels. You have three options: Lower: All text appears in lower case lettering, including the initial letter of the label. Preserve: Text appears as entered. Upper: All text appears in upper case lettering. |
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Grid |
When working in the Diagram View you have the option to display grid lines in the view. You also can activate a snap objects to grid feature as well so that when you place an object in the Diagram View, it automatically snaps to the nearest grid line. When an element is moved, it also snaps to the nearest grid.
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Layout |
You can set what type of connection style you want to use: straight or elbowed. The default setting is elbowed. When you change this setting to straight you get a Change Diagram Layout dialog, warning you that this selection overrides any changes you have made to individual relationships. |
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Connections |
Show or hide all connections: associations, interactions, line shapes, links, message flows, relationships, and sequence flows. The available items on the list depend on the type of model, either Business Process or Conceptual. |
Zoom Levels
From the main menu select View>Zoom Levels to adjust the zoom level of any diagram. You have several different options available:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
|
Fit to page |
Zoom level is reduced in the Diagram View so that the entire diagram fits in the visible screen area. |
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Custom Zooming |
Lets you custom zoom into and out of any Diagram window by specifying a zoom percentage on the custom toolbar |
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Zoom with preset percentages |
You can enlarge or reduce a diagram using a preset percentage. |
Layout and Alignment Toolbar
Use this toolbar to align the elements in a diagram.
Use this toolbar to format and justify text, and change the colors of both elements and text.
Overview Window
This is a ‘thumbnail’ view of your model and is useful when working with large diagrams that appear on more than one screen. You have the ability to pan the entire model. As you move the blue shaded box in the Overview window, the portion highlighted by the box appears in the Diagram View. Also, if you click an object in the Overview pane, that object appears in the Diagram View.
For large diagrams, the Overview window is a much more powerful navigation tool than using a combination of EA/Studio scroll bars and zoom features.
Session 5 Conclusion
EA/Studio offers many tools that make is easy to layout and design diagrams, format elements in a diagram, and navigate around large diagrams.
Session 6 discusses the use of Reference Objects in EA/Studio.